A still from the teaser for the upcoming documentary. Photo: Teton Gravity Research
1. Explain Once And For All How Andy Died.
In the frantic days after Andy Irons’ passing, the public was misled about how he died. The world was erroneously told that he was sick with Dengue fever, and then that he died of a heart attack, which left out the real truth about the presence of cocaine and methamphetamine in his system.
These facts have been reported upon and opined about many times over. But the new documentary on his life slated to drop in February, if it wants to be remembered, should serve as the end-all, be-all record. Years have passed. Wounds have healed. The ASP is now the WSL. Whatever forces led to the obfuscation of the truth — and for whatever reasons: emotional, legal, public relations — are no longer at work. So there’s no need to protect anyone or anything. The producers have often used the word “truth” when talking about this project. They must show us they know what that word means. It’s not something that’s owned by a single family, group of friends, corporation or sport.
2. Help Us Understand Why We Care About People Like Andy.
The world was captivated by Andy. His talent. His fire. His charisma. His bad boy persona. His model-looks. Why is it that people we worship get special treatment? Why was news of Andy’s death worth potentially distorting? If we walk away with a deeper understanding of that, maybe next time we’ll be more likely to accept them as a complete person, including their failings, and to see the dangerous path they’re on.
Because if more people were able to stomach it at the time, maybe more people would have spoken up — or have known what to do — about Andy’s dark and self-destructive tendencies.
3. Examine How Andy’s Mental Health Affected His Life.
There will be other young athletes, and everyday people, who amaze us one minute and scare us the next. But there doesn’t need to be another Andy. There doesn’t need to be another story of how a great talent was lost because no one knew how to save them before it was too late.
If we see Andy’s personality through a lens of his mental health, specifically as a product of suffering from bipolar disorder, maybe there won’t be another Andy. We should walk away from this film a little more comfortable with those words, a little more educated about the symptoms. Maybe a little more ready to talk about how it, and other mental health issues, affect the people we love.
